This season has seen a tumultuous relationship between Celtic and VAR unfold, with unexpected repercussions stemming from Liverpool’s victory over Tottenham that reignited old wounds for the Parkhead club.
Refereeing technology has played a pivotal role in several of Celtic’s key matches, most notably in the recent decision to overturn Fabio Silva’s booking for diving and awarding him a penalty. This controversial call spurred Rangers on to turn the tide in their favor after trailing 2-0 at Ibrox.
In another instance at Tynecastle earlier this year, Celtic was on the receiving end of VAR’s intervention when Hyunjun Yang was sent off for a high boot, and a handball by Tomoki Iwata resulted in a penalty for the home team.
Reflecting on these incidents, former Celtic star Chris Sutton highlighted the contentious nature of VAR decisions, drawing parallels between Joe Gomez’s challenge for Liverpool against Spurs and Yang’s incident at Tynecastle. Sutton criticized the inconsistency in refereeing decisions, particularly underlining the disparities in reactions to similar fouls.
The controversial Yang red card sparked debates among pundits and former footballers, with Cochrane’s response to the challenge indicating that the severity of the incident may have been exaggerated.
The aftermath of these events saw Brendan Rodgers facing SFA sanctions for his remarks on VAR, underscoring the contentious nature of technology’s impact on Celtic’s season. While it remains uncertain how these incidents will ultimately shape the league’s outcome, there is a consensus that a different approach at Tynecastle could have made Hearts’ victory over Celtic a harder-fought battle.
